A Journey Through the Land of Traditional Gourmet Cookery of Kerala

chillibreeze writer — Shoba Mathews

Kerala, a state where a journey from the beaches to the hills and back to the mountains again can be achieved by traveling less than a hundred miles has been blessed with nature’s bounty in the form of a wide variety of seafood, an amalgam of spices which probably is the only kind in the world, tropical fruits such as the ever present bananas and coconuts and so much more. The rich intermingling of cultures in Kerala has contributed to the vast melting pot of mouth-watering delicacies that are churned out in many of the kitchens in God’s Own Country.

Kerala porotta, appam and stew, ulli theeyal and of course the ubiquitous banana chips -if this is the Kerala cuisine you are familiar with, join me as I take you on a voyage that will tingle your taste buds and leave you craving for more.

We start our journey in the northern region of Kerala or the Malabar region where Moplah cuisine rules the roost. The Arab influence is predominant in many of the dishes here like the Alisa, which is a hearty wheat and meat porridge, and, of course, the evergreen Kozhikodan Biriyani (??).

An overnight journey from Bangalore to Calicut all in search of authentic Kerala cuisine took me first to my friend Akbar’s house in a small village near Calicut. Breakfast at Akbar’s comprised of the traditional pathiri (thin crepes of rice flour cooked on a pan and dipped in thick coconut milk before serving) with egg masala and puttu (steamed rice and coconut cakes) with brown chickpea gravy were welcome addition to a starving belly. Puttu is traditionally served with the chickpea gravy, yellow plantains or boiled green lentils and pappadams. In the highland regions, paani- a syrup made from boiling down sweet palm toddy is also served along with puttu.

The vessel used in cooking puttu is a unique cylindrical container, which is attached to a narrow necked vessel filled with water. A mixture of the roasted rice powder and coconut is placed in the container with the coconut placed at the two ends of the rice powder. A perforated lid at the bottom of the cylinder keeps the puttu powder intact. While cooking, the water in the vessel boils and lets out the steam, which passes through the puttu in the cylindrical container. The mouthwatering breakfast was washed down with the harmless Moplah addiction-Suleimani or black tea with a few drops of lime.

A trip to the Calicut beach and a brief gambol in the waves helped to work up an appetite to do justice to the enormous array of food laid out on a groaning table. Neichoru - exotic fried rice made in ghee and garnished with fried onions, cashew nuts and raisins – a dish which is traditionally served for all Muslim weddings held the pride of place; A mutton or chicken curry cooked in a spicy coconut gravy traditionally accompanies Neichoru. The Kozhikodan Biriyani and prawns masala, which are favorites of any Malayali Muslim household, were also depleted in little time. Arikkadukka or stuffed mussels, which are a specialty of the Malabar region, was a treat to the uninitiated among us. Traditional Muslim sweets like the Muttamala and the Pinnanathappam were a fitting finale to a sumptuous feast. Muttamala or the egg-garland is made out of egg yolks and sugar and is cooked in the shape of a garland. Muttamala is traditionally served with Pinnanathappam made out of egg whites, cardamom powder and sugar syrup.

The Calicut stopover having been a delightful precursor to the gastronomic treats in store for us, we proceeded further south to central Kerala where the art of Syrian Christian cooking remains the pride of many a homemaker. Our hosts were Sunny and Alice Jacob the proud owners of a vast rubber estate in Kanjirappally. Alice lived up to her reputation as an excellent cook by laying before us a spectacular array of traditional Syrian Christian delicacies. A selection of boiled tubers like yam, colocasia, and tapioca were offered with fiery hot chutney prepared with green chilies, shallots, garlic and coconut oil. The tubers had been cooked in salted water and strained till dry. Chakka Kozhachathu, a preparation of semi ripe jackfruit cooked with grated coconut, shallots, green chilies and seasoned with curry leaves, mustard and shallots was a fitting accompaniment to the fiery red fish curry which is a staple in many of the Syrian Christian households. Kerala being one of the states where beef is consumed wholeheartedly, Erachi Ulathiyathu begged for our attention on the table amidst the Meen Peerapattichathu, Kozhy Mappas, Vendakka Ulathiyathu, and Kachimoru.

Erachi Ulathiyathu is prepared by cooking cubes of beef which have been marinated in spices like cinnamon, cloves, pepper, chilly and coriander powders. The cooked beef is further sautéed with fried onions, coconut flakes and curry leaves. Meen Peera is a wonderfully tangy preparation, which has more coconut than fish. Traditionally prepared with the smaller varieties of fish like sardines and silverfish, the flavor of the kokum used provides the mouthwatering tartness of the dish. Kozhy Mappas, a common chicken curry in most households has the overwhelming flavor of coconut milk, which makes it an ideal combination for rice as well as various Indian breads. Vendakka Ulathiyathu is made by sautéing sliced okra with onions, green chilies, ginger and pepper corns in coconut oil- the elixir of Kerala cuisine. Kachimoru, a soothing antidote for stomach ailments is made by seasoning buttermilk with mustard, fenugreek, shallots, ginger, garlic, turmeric and curry leaves.

To appease our sweet tooth, Alice had thoughtfully laid out Ethakka Payasam – a mouthwatering dessert made of mashed ripe bananas, jaggery (unrefined sugar) and coconut milk and garnished with fried cashewnuts and raisins. Another delicacy was Churuttu - a deliciously flaky pastry made of rice flour and stuffed with jaggery and coconut.

Traveling further south with the mélange of flavors in our mouth, we reached Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, which was the last stop on our itinerary. Little did Madhavan Nair and his wife Geetha realize the perils of acting host to a group of people who were gearing up to thoroughly relish their last few days of authentic Malayalee cuisine. However, Geetha valiantly rose to the challenge and laid before us a veritable vegetarian spread, to soothe palates overloaded with the non-vegetarian fare of the previous days. The highlights of our meal were the Kadachakka curry – a spicy breadfruit curry prepared much in the same way as a meat curry, Avial- a curry comprising of an absolute potpourri of vegetables cooked with generous portions of grated coconut, Pineapple Pachadi – chopped pineapple in a spicy yogurt gravy, Olan – a curry made with white pumpkin and red beans in coconut gravy and Erisseri – mashed yam and dal cooked with grated coconut, green chilies, shallots and spiced with cumin. Digestive tidbits in the form of Pulli Inji, and lime pickle were also thoughtfully provided. Pulli Inji is made by cooking ginger strips in a spicy tamarind pulp. Pappadams and chips were a crunchy accompaniment to the delicious repast. The famous Pal Payasam- kheer made by cooking rice with milk and sugar and the Parippu payasam –lentils cooked with jaggery and coconut milk were the sweet offerings from the Nair family.

Sated with the myriad flavors of God’s Own Country, we returned to Bangalore and its health clubs - to atone for the sins of holidaying in a land blessed with such a vast assortment of food to satisfy every palate.

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—About our writer:

A true blue Mallu who has now slowly accustomed to life as a Bangalorean, Shoba is essentially a homebody with an uncontrollable addiction to chocolates and the language of the bard.

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